stack it up

My mom found this recipe for shrimp tostadas in the newspaper and passed it on to me.... who knew that newspapers printed such delicious recipes?!  They are one of our favorites - especially in the spring and summer when you want a fresh meal that doesn't require lots of cooking... just chopping of lots of veggies.  And they are great for guests - everyone loves them and they look pretty with all the colorful veggies.  But beware...once you start piling on the layers, they can get very tall (as you can see in my pic below), which means very messy.  However, I can assure you they are worth the mess.

shrimp and guacamole tostadas

Tostadas:

4 tostada shells * 

1/2 c. guacamole

16 - 20 large precooked shrimp (you could also use chicken or black beans for a no-meat option)

Sauce for shrimp:

6 T plain yogurt

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp onion powder

1-2 tsp lime juice (~ 1/2 a lime) 

salt to taste

Combine all ingredients.  Add shrimp and mix until shrimp are coated with sauce.

Slaw topping:

1 c. jicama

1 c. carrots

1 c. snap peas

1 c. red bell peppers

2 T chopped cilantro

lime juice

salt to taste

Cut all veggies unto matchsticks (long thin strips), add cilantro, salt, the juice from one lime + the rest of the lime used to make the yogurt sauce, and stir until combined.

Building your tostada:

Take one tostada shell and layer it with guacamole, shrimp, then veggies.  Take a bite and make a mess!

side note:  You can play around with the veggies in the slaw topping.  The ones in the recipe are a great combination, but I have also used zucchini.  The last time I made these I added mango to the slaw, which added a nice touch of sweet.

*I found out that you make your own tostadas by spraying both sides of corn tortillas with cooking spray and baking at 375 for ~15 minutes, or until crisp, turning once while baking.